Two former Chinese defence ministers sentenced to death with reprieve for graft

Wei was convicted of accepting bribes and Li was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes.

07 May 2026 08:56pm
Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe (right) and Li Shangfu, were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday. Photos of the former ministers: AFP FILE PIX
Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe (right) and Li Shangfu, were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday. Photos of the former ministers: AFP FILE PIX

BEIJING - Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday, reported Xinhua.

Their sentences were separately handed down by China's military court.

Both Wei and Li were also former members of the Central Military Commission and former state councilors.

According to the court rulings, Wei was convicted of accepting bribes and Li was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes.

They were also stripped of their political rights for life and all their personal property will be confiscated.

The court rulings said that no further commutation or parole will be allowed after their sentences are commuted to life imprisonment in accordance with the law upon the expiration of the two-year reprieve period. - BERNAMA-XINHUA

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CORRUPTION
CRIME

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